19 Ridiculously Simple Lessons in Persuasion

Lesson 5 - Commitment and Consistency

The fourth letter from the ASSCURL acronym for persuading is Commitment and Consitency.

Getting someone to make a small commitment will make it easier to get a bigger commitment from them. There was a study where people were first asked to put a small sign in their window to drive safely. Afterward, they were asked to put a big sign on their front lawn and compliance rates increased.

So try to get someone to commit to something easier.

I teach juggling and I could say to someone, "Would you like to spend the next hour trying to juggle three balls?" If I can get them to toss a ball up and down and catch it they're are more likely to stick around and learn to juggle.